In mobile terminals such as portable phones, arts for calling more easily a target function of a user have been proposed, as functions available to a user have increased.
For example, an arrangement has been widely employed in which (i) a function list is displayed on a menu panel and (ii) a user is prompted to select a target function from functions thus displayed.
However, this arrangement adversely increases the number of operations.
In view of this, an invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 realizes an arrangement in which two different functions are assigned to a single operation key and the single operation key is pushed down long or short, so that either one of the two different functions is selected. This arrangement makes it possible to call a target function instead of increasing the number of operations.
Portable phones having such an arrangement have been available commercially. It is possible to take a portable phone SH705 (Sharp Corporation) as an example of such portable phones. The portable phone SH705 is arranged such that a first function is called in a case where an operation key for calling functions (hereinafter, referred to as function calling key) is pushed down short, whereas a second function is called in a case where the function calling key is pushed down long. A function distinguishing mark indicating the first function is displayed on a display section of the portable phone but a function distinguishing mark indicating the second function is not displayed.
There has realized an arrangement in which (i) five function calling keys, to which different functions are assigned, are provided, respectively, and (ii) five function names are displayed in two lines on each of the right and left sides and in a line in the center. It is possible to take a portable phone SH902i (Sharp Corporation) as a portable phone having such an arrangement. The portable phone SH902i always reserves on a screen five display areas for displaying five function names.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2003-298716 (Tokukai 2003-298716, date of publication: Oct. 17, 2003)